CFPC Announces New Executive Director, Academic Family Medicine

The College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC) is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr Nancy Fowler to the role of Executive Director, Academic Family Medicine (AFM) effective October 1, 2016.

“It is with great pleasure that we welcome Dr Fowler to the CFPC leadership team,” says Executive Director and CEO, Francine Lemire, MD CM, CCFP, FCFP, CAE. “With 30 years of experience as a family physician and key academic positions at McMaster University, Dr Fowler brings tremendous expertise, insight and professional commitment that will effectively guide the continued growth and advancement of the CFPC’s Academic Family Medicine division. I am confident that she will make a strong contribution to the College’s important work in family medicine education, research and accreditation across Canada.”

“For the last six months, Dr Richard Almond has served as the AFM Executive Director on an interim basis,” adds Dr Lemire. “His expertise has been instrumental to providing quality work and continuity to numerous important initiatives underway in collaboration with CFPC partners and the academic community. We extend our sincere thanks to Dr Almond for his outstanding service. We look forward to a future announcement about his continued involvement with the College.”

Dr Fowler is currently a practicing family physician with McMaster Family Practice in Hamilton, Ontario and Associate Professor of Family Medicine with the Faculty of Health Sciences at McMaster. As a long-serving residency program director and enhanced skills program director, she led the development of the rural stream and the expansion of McMaster’s family medicine residency program including the creation of several new medical education sites.

A true McMaster alumna, Dr Fowler completed her medical degree there in 1985. She received Certification in the College of Family Physicians (CCFP) in 1987 and Fellowship (FCFP) in 2002.

Throughout her career, Dr Fowler has been actively involved with the CFPC. She has participated with numerous CFPC committees, the Section of Teachers Council, the Triple C Implementation Task Force, the Family Medicine Forum Executive, and is currently the Chair of the newly formed Postgraduate Education Committee. Her major career interests are dedicated to issues of diversity, equity, cultural safety and access within the health care system.

In her new role, Dr Fowler’s portfolio will include responsibility for the direction and leadership of family medicine certification examinations and assessment, Certificates of Added Competence, research, all aspects of the CFPC’s involvement with undergraduate and postgraduate family medicine education and the important collaborations with the academic community across the country. She will also have involvement with important initiatives under way related to accreditation of family medicine residency programs, helping prepare family physicians for rural and remote practice, and ongoing Triple C implementation and assessment.

“I am absolutely delighted to take on this role,” says Nancy Fowler, MD, CCFP, FCFP. “It is a natural extension of my career-long commitment to providing high-quality family medicine care for all Canadians, and the

scholarship supporting that goal. I bring nearly 30 years of front-line clinical and academic work experience and a deep, abiding love for our profession. I look forward to working together and continuing the strong partnerships that are essential to the continued success of family medicine in Canada.”

The CFPC represents more than 35,000 members across the country. It is the professional organization responsible for establishing standards for the training and certification of family physicians. The CFPC reviews and accredits continuing professional development programs and materials that enable family physicians to meet certification and licencing requirements and lifelong learning interests. It also accredits postgraduate family medicine training in Canada’s 17 medical schools. The College provides quality services, supports family medicine teaching and research, and advocates on behalf of family physicians and the specialty of family medicine.